Rajasthans seer meditates in the open for rains

A seer in Jaipur has undertaken a vow to meditate in the open till rains hit the Pink City.

By Lokendra Singh

Jaipur, May 21 : A seer in Jaipur has undertaken a vow to meditate in the open till rains hit the 'Pink City'.

Sitting bare-chested and surrounded by burning dumplings of cow-dung, in temperatures hovering around 42 degree Celsius, Ramnawami Das is praying for rains here.

Das begins meditating by noon, and continues doing so for the next two-and-a half hours before returning to his makeshift tent.

Attired in a wraparound and covering his head with a piece of cloth, Das says he is optimistic that his rigorous meditation will bear fruit.

"There is a drought in Rajasthan and, I am praying to the Gods for rain. With my penance, I am trying to appease the Rain God and he will bless us all with rain," claims Das.

Das who claims to have performed penances for various causes in the last nine years. He says he started his latest feat on May 10 and will continue with it till June 9.

News about this harsh form of penance has travelled far and wide by word of mouth. The religious-minded are visiting the hermit to show solidarity for the cause.

"We are facing grave problems because of the conditions here. First, there is was a severe heat wave and then, this drought-like situation. We came here once to see the holy man performing penance under such difficult conditions. We believe that God will bless us," said Manju, a visitor.

Rajasthan experiences extreme climatic conditions.

The Indian summer starts in April and continues till June. The weather cools down with the monsoons in July.